Beijing: Taiwan threat issued

Taiwan faces a growing possibility of military action by the mainland if “radical pro-independence moves” continue on the island, the Chinese government warned today through its state-run media.

There is a growing possibility that “peace will have to be safeguarded and won through the use of force,” a newspaper article said, quoting what it called a “senior military source.”

The article came days after Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian angered Beijing by saying Taiwan might “walk its own road” and is, like China, a separate nation. The Chinese government regards Taiwan as part of its territory and considers unification the most sensitive issue it faces.

Washington, D.C.: Internet attack does little

This Internet attack apparently fizzled.

The federal government said that early Tuesday it detected a series of electronic attacks against U.S. Internet providers, launched hours after the FBI alerted technology companies and others of potential trouble.

But most such organizations and companies said they barely detected a hiccup of unusual activity, with few reports of odd outages or even widespread e-mail delays.

The U.S. official said Tuesday that a flood of data spiking nearly 700 percent more than usual was aimed at Internet providers and Web sites. The attack was thought to originate in Western Europe.

Washington, D.C.: Report ruffles Saudis

Strains in U.S.-Saudi relations resurfaced Tuesday following a recommendation to a Pentagon advisory board that the Arab ally be given an ultimatum to stop supporting terrorism or face retaliation.

The Pentagon, State Department and White House distanced themselves from that idea and others contained in a briefing by a Rand think tank analyst.

In Jeddah, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal denounced the briefing as “pure fiction.” Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned Saud and assured him the briefing did not represent U.S. policy.

Laurent Murawiec’s briefing last month to the Defense Policy Board former senior officials and intellectuals who advise the Pentagon included the statement, “Saudi Arabia supports our enemies and attacks our allies.”